“Promises” features the story of a wealthy man, Rolando Dominguez (Carlos Guerrero), who works hard, parties hard, and never has much time for his wife or son. His son, Rollie (Carlos Guerrero Jr.), notices this and acts out, like hitting his dad’s car, to get his attention. Rolando says the right things, that he will spend time with Rollie later on, but he never seems to get around to it, even missing Rollie’s birthday party. Both Rollie and his mother are heartbroken when they drive by and see Rolando, while he is making an excuse on the phone as to why he can’t be with them, with a woman.
This story is told in flashbacks as we see a homeless Rolando, with a big beard from not having shaved in a long while, hanging around the pier and, at times, acting strangely and frightening people. He beats up a plush shark at the beach and seems to have conversations with himself. He also endures the ridicule of those who don’t care for homeless people. Eventually, we learn why he is so lost and what happened to him, and the film makes use of Mark 8:36, which asks the question, “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
A couple of scenes involve suicide and the topic of suicide, which we wish to note. In one scene, a man states that if anyone commits suicide, they will not go to Heaven. Considering the fact that this is a controversial topic, and people who have lost their minds or become totally despondent have committed suicide at times, we want viewers to be aware of the comment. Also, a scene involves a man taking his own life at the end of the film, and he winds up seeing a loved one in Heaven, both of them dressed in white. We feel the need to give a caution about this scene, as some might think the film encourages the act of suicide to get to Heaven, but we don’t believe that was the intent. The film mainly focuses on the tragic results of neglecting what is important in life: God and family.
We are awarding our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal to the film for ages 12-plus.